Teen Book Reviews

Brielle Petitfour, a Haitian zonbi, is tired of watching her mother struggle with debilitating chronic pain while the rich elites around her continue to exploit people to make themselves richer. So, when the wealthy patriarch of the Banks corporation dies and her mother loses her job, it is Brielle's last straw. Using her internship at the Banks Incorporation, her extensive cooking skills, and zonbi powers, she gains access to these rich elites and exacts her revenge. Within each delicious dish she serves them, she adds human flesh, slowly gaining control of them...

I was really excited to read this book, because the idea Haitian zonbis in a modern lens is something that really interests me, along with learning more about Haitian-American culture. Additionally, after reading the synopsis of this book, I wanted to know more about how Brielle would add human flesh into her dishes - and wanted to understand her motivations for doing so. However, I was sorely disappointed after reading "The Summer I Ate The Rich." Not only is Brielle's character - along with all others in the story - flat and unrealistic, but the plot and motivations were just confusing. Instead of leaning into the interesting and original idea of Brielle serving rich people human flesh, or even eating the rich herself, the authors skirted around this detail, avoiding and barely mentioning this major plot point. Instead, they leaned into a YA love story instead, which was confusing and frustrating. Overall, the execution of this book was just terrible, the social commentary unfortunately fell flat, and I think the authors tried to incorporate too many clashing ideas into one story. Despite its intriguing title and synopsis, I would not recommend this book to anyone.

This wonderful sequel to "Powerless" follows three different point of views, Paedyn Gray, Kai Azer, and Kitt Azer. First, the book shows Paedyn as she escapes from Illya after murdering the king and being discovered as an ordinary. Second, it shows Kai while he tracks Paedyn down while also questioning how he could ever feel anything for an *ordinary.* Last it shows Kitt as he tries to figure out how to deal with Paedyn after she killed his father. Paedyn and Kai struggle to get through the differences they now have and deal with the feelings of affection they still have for each other. "Reckless" brings feelings of regret, anger, and confusion as all three of these characters handle their complicated thoughts and emotions.

A Tale of Magic is the first book of a Trilogy and the whole series is a prequel to the Land of Stories series, and it's one of my favorite books in this world. The whole series deeply symbolizes the prejudice that the LGBTQ community has faced, without ever saying it. The allegory uses magic in the place of queer people (even if there are queer characters) and shows multiple toxic masculine characters and values. In one part of the book, the main character, Brystal, is found accidentally conjuring magic and is taken away by the court to a facility where they "convert" the magic out of somebody, even when it is known that you can't take the magic out of somebody. Thankfully, she is saved by Madame Weatherberry, another fairy (or person who practices magic) who is making a school for fairies to learn how to use their magic in a safe environment. There Brystal learns how to channel her magic for good with the other fairies there. Her and the other fairies eventually become more like a family and she realizes that maybe she isn't broken from being magical. The fairies have many adventures and work through inequality and other monsters.

She doesn't remember anything, except the fact she has woken up stranded on the side of a highway. She doesn't know her name, or where she lives, not even as the police officer who picked her up continues to ask. Then her father comes to pick her up, claiming he has been frantically searching for her. Her name is Mary and this man knows everything about her, has pictures and proof, so Mary tries to push away the creeping unease that begins to settle in her.
Drew just wants to find his girlfriend. He wants her to be okay, and he really wants everyone to stop acting like he murdered her. Seriously, that's what everyone thinks except his best friend and family. As everyone assumes Drew is responsible for the disappearance of Lola, and as the police seem to stop their search for her, Drew takes matters into his own hands. What he finds is not what he expected. One thing is for sure, Mary and Drew need to be careful...
This was an incredibly interesting book, with a sad ending but not at all disappointing. The author keeps the characters relatable and the plot twist completely unexpected.

Brooke does everything to maintain a perfect presentation of herself. This includes making sure her looks, behavior, grades, and essentially everything about her is deemed perfect by everyone, especially her parents. Especially after the incident over the summer, that Brooke wishes she would just forget. Brooke plans on creating a brand new life for herself through going to a prestigious college. To celebrate, Brooke and her friends go to a party, where Brooke can finally relax, and maybe everything is all in the past now? Except something Brooke's friend's don't know is that someone is out to get her. Someone who knows what happened the night of the incident. And Brooke will do anything to make sure the truth doesn't come out...
This book was definitely hard top put down and the plot twist was really unexpected. I found Brooke's perspective interesting and part of what made the book so suspenseful. I do wish the ending went into more detail about the events that happened.

With a festival quickly approaching, Princess SITA is excited to enjoy the party and meet up with the handsome palace guard, Femi. But when she stumbles into a sinister plot, she must decide where her loyalties lie. After having dreams of the end of the world, NEFF is taken to train to be a priestess. Alongside Prince Kenna, she is determined to learn more about what her visions mean while adjusting to her new life in the temple. RAE and her father are struggling to survive as the pharaoh's taxes grow even more demanding. Her only release is the street fights she slips away to, but when the situation in her village takes a turn for the worse, she decides to fight back. KARIM is a tomb robber, but when he stumbles across his biggest find yet, something goes wrong. Now, he must set out alone across the desert, running from the evil he unleashed. With the pharaoh growing sicker by the minute, it's up to these four strangers to fulfill the prophecy of the lamb and save the kingdom from destruction.

I was really excited to read "His Face Is The Sun", because I really like YA fantasy books that are centered around Ancient Egyptian culture/mythology. However, I was pretty disappointed with the execution of the story itself. "His Face Is The Sun" is told in alternating perspectives, spit up between four different characters. Even though this was essential to tell all of their stories and bring the characters together, I found this storytelling technique pretty boring in a lot of parts, and I would dread getting to the perspectives of certain characters. Additionally, the voice of this book seemed a little off to me. At times, it was extremely dated to match the setting of the book, and at others, it was extremely modern, which was confusing. Also, this book is the first one of the series, and honestly was not that interesting because it was just setting the stage for the other books. Overall, the execution of this book really fell short for me, and I would not recommend it.

Winter is here, school's out, and 12-year-old Milo Pine is looking forward to finally relaxing at his home, Greenglass House, which normally serves as an inn (for smugglers) run by his parents. But his plans are disturbed when an unexpected guest arrives at the house, and then another, and suddenly the house is filled with people once again. Among those in the house is a girl whom Milo identifies as the house cook's daughter, Meddy Caraway, a whimsical and bossy girl who drags Milo into playing a game involving Greenglass House and a certain map he'd had found near the inn. But things take a turn when the guests' possessions begin going missing, and the two discover that all of these strange guests bear with them stories that are somehow connected to Greenglass House. Slowly, Milo realizes that perhaps the game they're playing isn't just a game, and there may be more secrets hidden behind their creaky house than he thought - secrets that certain people would do anything to obtain.

This book honestly kind of surprised me. The plot (especially Meddy's game) was confusing for me when I first started reading, and it was a little hard to get into initially. But eventually the suspense began to ramp up, and it left me guessing and reading more to find out what happens next. Milford's writing is genuinely enchanting: the beautiful antique setting of the story, the strange tales of the guests, and the (fictional) historical events surrounding the inn had me really immersed. It was as if I was being transported into a different world entirely, even though this book is set in a modern-day society. I also loved the little puzzles the author put into the book, and despite Milo and Meddy's geniuses at solving them, at the end, they're still children, and it shows in their characterization, keeping some realism. It is also worth mentioning that Milo is adopted; he is ethnically Chinese, and he's had some issues coming to terms with his identity and accepting the aforementioned fact. These issues are well integrated into the plot as Milo sees his inner conflict reflected in the game he plays (and in other circumstances), and watching him develop and accept himself was a wonderful journey. The plot twist at the end was especially shocking, and it is interesting to see how details that were perplexing at the beginning of the book take on a new meaning after the big secret was revealed. Overall, Greenglass House was a lovely read, and it was a novel where I can see the sheer amount of research and work the author put into making the story come to life.

This book is pretty good. As Lucy Carlyle leaves her old job she finds another one in Lockwood and Co. She is a listener that helps fight ghosts. Her job is to listen to the ghost and locate the source. As she joins Lockwood and Co. she doesn’t have to do anything too hard until she discovers a locket and wants to find out what happened to the girl it belonged to. As she dives deeper a shocking truth is unraveled in the most haunted house in Britain, but it might be too late. This book takes you on thrilling ride with lots of action. Although it is a good book, it is not my favorite. It seems to stereotypical and a little repetitive.

This book is an amazing addition to the Naturals series. After their last interaction with a serial killer the naturals were back on cold cases. They had just completed a cold case for the kidnapping of a small child successfully. Though an unexpected turn comes when a new agent comes to the program. She immediately makes it clear that rules were made to be followed, which is hard for some of the kids there. Then she and Agent Briggs get called to a case that strikes too close to home for Dean. Once again the Naturals find themselves working behind the scenes of another active case. As friendships become tighter the reader experiences the thrilling rollercoaster as if they were there. It is an amazing book with twists you never would expect.

The Naturals is a thrilling book that is centered around a girl named Cassandra Hobbes or Cassie who can tell you almost everything about you and your life with just looking at you. She wishes that she will be able to leave her work as a waiter and do something to help. Then a mysterious boy shows up at the diner and leaves a card for the FBI. She figures out that her ability to profile people has landed her a spot in a program that helps catch serial killers that have been dormant. She wishes that she could help on active cases, but when she actually gets dragged into one it hits a little too close to home. As the Naturals work together they try to catch a serial killer while still acting like regular teenagers, flirting, playing games, and getting caught in a love triangle. This book creates a thrilling rollercoaster of emotions and surprises. It is one of the best books I have ever read and it is definitely one of my favorites.

This book is an amazing addition to the Maze Runner series. As the last book ended we got insight into WICKED that the Gladers don’t know. This creates a urge to help them, even though you can’t, and a mix of emotions. When they figure out the truth they realize what they must to do survive. This creates even more emotions in the reader and the characters. They immediately face challenges even in what seems like the easiest part of the trial. As they cross the Scorch, make new friends, and maybe lose some of the ones you thought were forever. This book is thrilling, exciting, and very emotional as it takes you through what might be the Gladers hardest trial.

I really liked this book. I read it after watching the movie and it was similar, but still had some differences. I really liked the different things that happened when the end started coming. With the progress of Thomas emotionally and physically it shows the progress of not only the other Gladers, but also the book and Glade itself. Even though I watched the movie before reading the book, I still was able to be surprised and enter the world of the maze. Even though there is a lot of things going on it still is a thrilling rollercoaster of emotions. As Thomas grows more knowledgeable of the maze I did to. It brought the truth to my eyes as Thomas realized it for himself.

First off, if you're looking for a comedy, this isn't it. Move along. This novel is the first in a four-book dystopian series. Lowry has a new take on dystopia as she describes what appears to be the perfect community--no hunger, homelessness, or unemployment. It is a well oiled machine. Jobs are assigned, as are spouses and children, who come from predetermined Birthmothers, which is one job of many. However, Jonas isn't assigned to a job. He is selected to be the new Receiver. Within the job, he learns exactly what's wrong with his community and discovers what wondrous things his community has omitted. I know it sounds boring but I have read it so many times; the whole series, actually. I think it is a great book for tweens and above. The whole series is great and I really liked them.

Right from the first sentence, you can tell this book is definitely not boring. I have lost count of the amount of times I have read Maniac Magee. It tells the story of Jeffrey Magee, who lives with his aunt and uncle, who are unhappy but refuse to get divorced, after his parents are killed in a train accident. After living with them, the unhappiness soon gets to Jeffrey and he runs away armed with one great power: the ability to run. In this book, the west side is all white people while the east side is people of color, and Jeffrey, a white boy, ends up on the east side. The reason this book is so good is the way Jerry Spinelli shows how people can change and how just one boy united the west side and the east side. One boy, who is faced with many tragedies but still continues on his mission that even he doesn't know what would be the final result. Not only is this book by Spinelli good, but you should definitely check out his other ones!

Stella is sick. No, not with the typical cold or flu, as Stella would rather have, but with a rare disease: Cystic Fibrosis. Her lungs have been faulty all her life and she hopes to obtain a lung transplant soon. In order to fulfill this goal, Stella attempts to maintain constant control of her life, risking nothing that would prevent her from getting the transplant. That is until she meets Will, who's only thing in common with Stella is his Cystic Fibrosis. With no care about control (or his medication) Will is fascinated with Stella and her orderly life. However, their illness prevents them from coming closer than six feet apart, and any close contact could jeopardize everything. Stella wants nothing to do with Will, how could she risk everything she's ever wanted? Yet as the two become closer, being six feet apart seems unbearable.
This was a good teen romance that captured what it's like to be controlled by something completely out of control or reach.

I would be surprised if you haven't already read this book--not just because it's well-known! If you don't know the classic story of a neglected child turned super-genius, I'm telling you, you're missing out. When least favorite child Matilda teaches herself to read at the age of two, she soon unlocks a whole new realm of possibility. With her parents out of the house at least one day of every week, Matilda is free to go to the library and read whenever. With her new intelligence, she finds creative ways to punish her parents' cruel treatment. But the fun really starts when she starts school. Run by the tyrannic Trunchbull, Matilda has to find a way to help her teacher, Ms. Honey with an even better power than knowledge that she got from books. I would say this book is a must read for kids of all ages!

For any Hunger Games fans out there, this book is incredible! Sunrise on the Reaping revisits a favored character from the original books: Haymitch Abernathy. The book revolves around his experiences before, during, and after the 50th Hunger Games.
When Haymitch’s 16th birthday comes around, he must sacrifice himself for the one he loves and is selected to be in the “Second Quarter Quell” — a game with more opponents and decreased odds, especially coming from District 12. He faces challenging experiences in the Capitol with threats from President Snow, differentiating friends versus foe, and watching those he cares about die. He realizes after the games he will never be safe or at peace like he dreamed of.
The book brilliantly portrays themes seen throughout the original trilogy and the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes: love, despair, resilience, and defiance. The relationship between these themes in all of Collins books made this book not only a heart-wrenching shocker, but it also explained how Haymitch Abernathy’s 50th games shaped the 74th Hunger Games. If you’re looking for a book filled with love, heartbreak, plot-twists, defiance, and a nostalgically classic dystopian feel, Sunrise on the Reaping is the book for you!

Eric Ly's life is falling apart. His best friend is dead, his sister is moving away for college, and Eric can't seem to deal with his loneliness and grief. So, in order to cope, he creates fake scenarios in his head to hold on to what he had, until one of them seemingly comes to life. During a summer trip to Japan, Eric had met - and shortly lost contact with- a boy named Haru. And now, in a random cafe in Chicago, Haru has miraculously found his way back to him. But the problem is no one can see Haru except for Eric.

Nonetheless, Eric now has a new person to connect with during these hard times - even if Haru may not be real at all. But his twisted imagination and lingering grief lead him to question the circumstances around him and lose control of his life. And slowly, Eric realizes he must come to terms with reality, even if it means he must lose Haru and the fake scenarios he's created.

When I first picked up this book, I had pretty high expectations for it. The book's concept intrigued me, and I also did enjoy reading You've Reached Sam, the author's debut work. That being said, this book somewhat disappointed me. The plot saw so many changes in direction to the point where it felt rather aimless, and Eric's self-destructive decisions did irritate me at times (which may have been the intention given Eric's mental state, I won't discredit that). Haru's character, despite his proclaimed importance in the book's blurb, was honestly not very important to the story, and I genuinely feel like the book could have sufficed without him. The story was like a collection of Eric's memories and experiences; this introspectiveness doesn't inherently make a book "bad," but these books also aren't for everyone. The climax of the book did have some emotional substance, and it was pleasant to see Eric find his way and grow from his grief, but overall, I found this book to be a bit directionless. However, I do know that the novel was also very hard for the author to write, having to match his newfound success for You've Reached Sam (which also touches on grief and loss), so I do wonder what he might have done had he not been creatively restricted.

"The Queen's Spade" by Sarah Raughley tells the story of Ina Omoba, better known as Sarah "Sally" Forbes Bonetta, who was Queen Victoria's African goddaughter. After being taken from her homeland in Nigeria and witnessing her friend's murder at the crown's hands, Sally is determined to get her revenge on Queen Victoria and her inner circle. Enlisting the help of her friend, Rui, Sally works behind the scenes to expose secrets and create chaos, ruining the lives of all those who had hurt her. This is a true story based on Sarah Forbes Bonetta's real life in the 1800s, reimagining her life to create a YA romantacy.

When I read the synopsis for this book, I was really excited for its potential. The idea of reimagining such an interesting historical figure's story was really intriguing, and the revenge plot seemed exciting. However, after reading this book, I was sorely disappointed. The plot fell flat, as the storytelling was often confusing and seemed unorganized and even rushed. None of the characters were developed, and it was hard to like any of them. Additionally, the ending was dissatisfying, left a lot of unnecessary loose ends, and was not historically accurate at all, which was heartbreaking and took a lot away from Sarah Forbes Bonetta's story. I was really looking forward to reading this book, but the execution was so poorly done that I could not enjoy it. I would not recommend reading it.

The Cruel Prince is just straight up amazing. I LOVED Jude and her development as a character and how it was done. Cardan is a 10/10 no notes. This book is the original enemies to lovers and I am here for it! The only thing about this book is it can tend to have a lot of politics which might confuse readers but otherwise this is a masterfully written book that transports readers to the land of Faerie. Would recommend this to most if not all fantasy readers as it is a staple of the genre.

"Louder Than Hunger" by John Schu is a story told entirely through verses as it follows Jake Stacey and his journey living with and treating his anorexia. Throughout the book, Jake struggles through his everyday life, trying to ignore The Voice in his head that tells him not to eat, insisting that he's not worthy of love or affection. When Jake is finally admitted into a hospital to help him overcome his eating disorder, he resists, refusing to talk or interact with the other patients. The voice is louder than ever... but Jake doesn't know whether or not to listen to it anymore. Based on a true story, this book takes you on an emotional rollercoaster ride as you are completely pulled into Jake's story.

"Louder Than Hunger" is an extremely powerful and impactful story. While reading it, I was struck with how real all the characters felt, and I was moved to tears multiple times during this read. Schu does a great job with making you connect to the characters and situations, while still creating a page-turning tale that puts you in Jake's shoes. This story is unlike any I have ever read, as I had never read a story like this written in verses before, which made the story all the more impactful.

First off, I love Jennifer Lynn Barnes, and this novel did not disappoint. A bunch of kids with talents like analyzing people and detecting lies solving cold cases in the FBI? Yes please! Cassie's backstory was well thought out, and I loved her character development. The mystery was also very well thought out and the plot twists omg! The only part I didn't love was the hinted at love triangle mainly because it didn't feel essential to the story. I loved the You chapters (serial killer perspective), which were equally creepy and interesting. This book is perfect for mystery lovers, the only thing I wouldn't recommend doing is reading this in the dead of night haha.

The Revenant Games had everything you could ask for--action fantasy and romance. Follow Bly, a 17-year-old looking for a way to bring back her dead sister after an accident she’ll never forgive herself for. She decides to compete in the revenant games. Anyone can play, but the games are deadly. Follow Bly on her breathtaking adventure as she fights for everyone she loves. It’s vampires versus witches and Bly wants to win for both sides. When she meets the boy who changes her view on life she can’t decide whether she saves her sister or the boy she loves.

After reading A Court of Thorns and Roses, I was hesitant to pick up Throne of Glass, but I was pleasantly surprised. Throne of Glass is masterpiece. Celeana is a take no prisoners kick butt character and I fell in love with her narrating immediately. This is now my new favorite series, and I am happy to say it only gets better from here. Maas's world building skills are on full display here and mixed with the captivating plot, it was a quick and exciting read. Would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves fantasy with girl power main character!

A Court of Thorns and Roses was really disappointing mostly because of the main character Feyre. She was whiny, obnoxious and all around a dislikable person. I struggled to finish to read this book and didn't finish the second one. This plot has the potential to be great with a few tweaks and character changes but instead it fell flat. This book is all hype and no substance and the only redeeming part of the book was Rhys. I would not recommend this book to anyone with little patience for terrible books.

Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi is full of twists and turns. The book is packed with action from cover to cover, that makes this book almost impossible to put down. Not only does Tahereh Mafi write an enjoyable book plot wise, but she also works to develop her characters. I liked how the author makes her main character, Juliette, aware of her obsession over her romance, and has Juliette work towards not making her romance her entire personality. It made the book, and Juliette, less annoying. It also shows Juliette's growth to become more independent and not helplessly rely on others. Tahereh Mafi also makes Juliette's development realistic, with relapses into her old unconfident self-appearing throughout the novel. I enjoyed this book because of the character development and plot. I thought it was a great addition to the series, without being repetitive or boring.

Unite me was a enjoyable, quick read. I read the first half of Unite Me (Destroy Me) before the second book and the second half of Unite Me (Fracture Me) after the second book, which is the recommended reading order.

Destroy Me follows Warner directly after the first book, and Unite Me follows Adam, directly after the second book. Both books serve as bridges between the first, second, and third book. Despite being short glimpeses into Warner and Adam's lives, neither provided too much information as to become overwhelming, or too little information to be unsatisfying. The novellas also reshaped my perspectives on many of the characters. Tahereh Mafi does a wonderful job of showing how the "good guys" aren't always good and the bad guys aren't always "bad." Overall, I would recommend this book if you are reading the Shatter Me series. Not only is it enjoyable, but also necessary to fully understand some of the characters.

After being chosen for nothing but bait, Ben is in the middle of a plot to blow up spy school. But let's start from the beginning--good at math, less than good for most other things, that is an accurate summary of Ben. But soon he is approached by a debonair, picture-perfect spy, recruiting him for the CIA's very own spy school. Question: what happens when you give an inept person a gun? Answer: doesn't end well. That is a lesson Ben learns very quickly as he is suddenly thrust into a foreign world where everyone knows everything except for him. He makes a few new friends--Zoe, quick and capable, and Murray, the human equivalent of a sloth. But soon, he realizes, after getting assaulted in the middle of the night, he was just picked because they needed believable bait. However, he convinces the school to let him stay and soon he is training in earnest. Soon after, a surprising and yet unsurprising betrayal forces Ben into a very uncomfortable situation. But you should probably figure that out for yourself. I loved this book, with its balance of humor and action and I hope you do to!

I read this book because I had read a couple other books by the same author. I will say this--Gary D. Schmidt does not disappoint! I have loved all of his books both because of his relaxed writing style, intense characters, and bittersweet plot. This book is a spinoff of one of his other books, The Wednesday Wars, but you don't have to read that book before this one, it just has one of the characters from it. It follows Meryl Lee Kowalski, who is haunted by "The Blank," as she calls it. It is her feelings of numbness after her boyfriend Holling Hoodhood died and she never even got the chance to say goodbye. She is sent to a boarding school, where she neither tries nor cares to fit into the primpy, stuck-up rules and procedures. Eventually, she meets a runaway named Matt, who is borderline paranoid, and for good reason. As she struggles to find her "Accomplishment," as stated by the headmistress, she learns that people can change, and that people are not always what they seem, especially herself. This book is definitely top five for me--hope you enjoy it too!

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi follows Juliette, a teen girl labeled as insane and dangerous by the government. She has always felt alone due to her power, or curse, of destruction. She cannot touch another person without feeling immense pain. However, when one of the government officials takes interest in her powers, she is released from the asylum as he holds her hostage as a hopeful weapon. With the help of an old friend, Juliette learns that she might not be as horrible as she thought, and might be deserving of the love she has never had.

I really enjoyed this book! All of the characters, especially Juliette, have strong personalities and character traits. I especially thought seeing how Juliette's obsession with numbers worked as a way for her to cope from past trauma was interesting. However, I thought the book's pace felt slow at times and rushed at times. For instance, Juliette's romance with another character felt like it was moving really fast, and sometimes I couldn't tell how much time had passed from the last significant event. Overall it was a very enjoyable read and I would recommend!